Meanings
plural whippersnappers · alternative whipper-snapper · alternative whipper snapper
- colloquialA young and cheeky or presumptuous person; often with a connotation of ignorance via inexperience.First known use 1670s
These whippersnappers have never had to walk far or carry water.
2 more examples
"Throw me a nine iron Fatman, I want to make sure of getting inside you young whippersnappers."
1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, page 34Eisenhower thought that the President-elect, his junior by over 25 years, was merely a "young whippersnapper."
2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsomeone who is unimportant but cheeky and presumptuous
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Extension of *whip-snapper (“a cracker of whips”), or perhaps from snipper-snapper. Compare also whipperginnie (“term of abuse for a woman”), late 16th c.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans japsnoet
- japsnoetyoung, cheeky person
Bulgarian калпазанин, калпазан
- калпазанин (kalpazanin)young, cheeky person
- калпазан (kalpazan)young, cheeky person
Czech machýrek, náfuka
- machýrekyoung, cheeky person
- náfukayoung, cheeky person
- nafoukanecyoung, cheeky person
Dutch snotneus, branie
- snotneusyoung, cheeky person
- branieyoung, cheeky person
- broekieyoung, cheeky person
Finnish räkänokka, märkäkorva
- räkänokkayoung, cheeky person
- märkäkorvayoung, cheeky person
German junger Spund, Jungspund
- junger Spundyoung, cheeky person
- Jungspundyoung, cheeky person
- Bengelyoung, cheeky person
- Lümmelyoung, cheeky person
Icelandic oflátungur, merkikerti
- oflátunguryoung, cheeky person
- merkikertiyoung, cheeky person
Italian piccolo impertinente
- piccolo impertinenteyoung, cheeky person
Japanese 青二才
- 青二才 (aonisai)young, cheeky person
Latin frustum puerī
- frustum puerīyoung, cheeky person
Norwegian Bokmål spjert, snørrhvalp
- spjertyoung, cheeky person
- snørrhvalpyoung, cheeky person
- spirevippyoung, cheeky person
- liten viktigperyoung, cheeky person
- spradeyoung, cheeky person
- ung spradebasseyoung, cheeky person
Polish chłystek
- chłystekyoung, cheeky person
Portuguese metido
- metidoyoung, cheeky person
Slovak nafúkanec
- nafúkanecyoung, cheeky person
Spanish mequetrefe, arrapiezo
- mequetrefeyoung, cheeky person
- arrapiezoyoung, cheeky person
- chiquilicuatreyoung, cheeky person
- chisgarabísyoung, cheeky person
- pollastreyoung, cheeky person
Swedish pojkspoling, flicksnärta
- pojkspolingyoung, cheeky person
- flicksnärtayoung, cheeky person
- snorvalpyoung, cheeky person
Cite this entry
whippersnapper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whippersnapper
“whippersnapper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whippersnapper. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whippersnapper,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whippersnapper.
Source: whippersnapper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.